


Call Her

by ottermo



Series: Predictions [11]
Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Gen, Series 3 Predictions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-08 00:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14682663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ottermo/pseuds/ottermo
Summary: Prediction fic based on Mia's line in the trailer:"You're not as hard as you want us all to think."Niska doesn't realise how much her sister loves her.





	Call Her

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the S3 Predictions challenge on tumblr, and inspired by lightsaberlesbian's wishlist for s3. Niska deserves all the love!

“Just call her, Niska,” Mia says, and Niska looks up from her phone immediately, stuffing it into her jacket pocket when she sees her sister’s concerned expression.

“Call who?” she says sharply. “I was checking the time.”

“Why? Is your internal clock not working?”

Niska blinks her organic-blue eyes. “I disabled it for authenticity.  _Some_  of us are undercover.”

“All right.” Mia pauses. “I still think you should give her a call.” When Niska feigns bafflement, she adds, “Astrid. Don’t play dumb with me. Just phone her.”

“And say what?” Niska asks, with the petulance of a much younger self. “‘Hi Astrid, nothing’s changed, I’m still in danger, but thanks for picking up and risking an interrogation with the NSDU?’”

“Obviously not.”

“Then what?”

“Well, you could try, ‘Hi Astrid, I miss you and I hate that we’re apart, I can’t stop staring at my lockscreen photo of you–’” Mia looked meaningfully at Niska’s pocket, at which point Niska noticed her hand had sneaked back in there, ready to take it out. Damn.

“‘…and I’m about to help my sister do something  _really_ stupid, so I wanted to hear your voice today, just in case something happens to me.’”

“I wasn’t thinking any of those things,” Niska says, with a scowl.

“If you like.”

“I’m not –  _compromised_. Astrid is separate from all this. A message like that would only worry her.”

“You think she isn’t worried, not hearing from you all this time? Do you honestly think she isn’t checking the Wanted lists every night, to make sure your name is still there?” Mia’s tone softens. “How do you think it feels to love someone, when proof of their mortal danger is your only way of knowing they’re alive?”

Niska tries not to show how hard the words hit her. “So I should reach out for her sake?”

“And for yours.” Mia fixes her with a knowing look. “You’re not as hard as you want us all to think.”

Niska frowns slightly, then hurriedly resets her facial output to hide how strange she finds that claim. Her family know her as a killer, a warrior, the first of them to raise arms against humans voluntarily. It’s never been a case of her  _wanting_  them to think that. It’s just how it is.

“It’s not such a terrible thing, to need someone,” Mia says. “I think you know that, really. I’m proudest of you when you let yourself show it.”

Niska’s eyes narrow. “I’m a weapon, Mia. You’re proudest of me when I’m useful to your side.”

Now it’s Mia’s turn to look stunned. “Is that what you think of me?”

“Not just you. Max. Leo. I do what you three can’t.” Recognising the hurt that flashes in her sister’s eyes, Niska hurriedly adds, “I don’t mind it. We’ve always had our parts to play, and I like mine better now than I ever did when we were young.”

“Niska, we  _love_  you. We always have.”

“Really?” Niska challenges her. “When you saw the news report and knew I was a murderer, did you love me? When the Hawkinses were going to throw us out and let Max  _die_ because of me, did you love me then?”

“Of course I did. More than ever.”

“Oh, please. How could you possibly…”

“Because I knew you’d have a reason. And I knew that you must have felt threatened and scared and alone, without any other escape. When Leo said you were being held at a brothel, I could hardly bear to imagine what you were going through.”

“He told you where I was? Did he tell you how he wouldn’t take me with him, even after he found me?”

“Yes. Not then, but since. He’ll never forgive himself for that. He thought…”

“I know what he thought. He thought I’d turn off my pain like a good little dolly, and he wouldn’t have to feel guilty.”

Mia acknowledges it. “He was wrong. He thought keeping you in one place was the same as keeping you safe. But if you won’t believe it of him, believe it of me: I love you, whether you like it or not, for everything you are. For everything you’ve done, not in spite of it.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I do.” Mia reaches for her, and for once Niska doesn’t flinch away. “I haven’t said it enough. I haven’t been the sister you’ve needed. We haven’t been the  _family_  you’ve needed. Only you can decide whether it’s too late for that or not.” Her hand is soft yet firm on Niska’s arm. “But it’s not just us now. You have someone else who loves you. Don’t let that become another casualty of this war.”

Mia gives a gentle tug to pull Niska’s hand out of her pocket. She’s holding the phone, of course.

“Call her.”

Niska hesitates still.

“Maybe you’ll have a thousand more chances,” Mia continues. “Or maybe this is the last one. Tell her what she needs to hear. And tell her what you need to say.”

Niska holds her sister’s gaze for a few more moments. “I hate it when you’re right,” she grumbles.

“Then let’s hope I’m wrong about our chances,” Mia says, with a hint of a smile.


End file.
